4½ Key Steps to Project Success
Project success. We all recognise it when we see it, but what constitutes a successful project and how can this success be replicated in the future?
Traditional project management for years has followed the ‘iron triangle’ or ‘three pillars’ of time, cost and quality. In an ideal world, projects would be delivered on time with all the milestones reached on schedule; they would come in on budget, without any nasty surprises for client or supplier, and they would delight the client with high quality deliverables.
How can you increase the likelihood of the projects you undertake achieving this happy state of affairs?
From polling IRIS clients, we have identified the following 4½ key contributors to running a successful project (not in order of priority). You need to be able to:
- Draw on all your experience in running similar projects to set realistic timescales, milestones and budgets.
- Allocate and manage your internal and external resources effectively
- Keep an eagle eye on costs; bill in a timely manner; and be instantly ‘on the case’ for any late payments.
- Communicate clearly and regularly with clients and suppliers alike.
…and the ½? If it can go wrong, it will. So always have a Plan B!
This whitepaper, ‘4½ Key Steps to Project Success’ (downloadable in PDF form), examines each of these contributing factors in turn. Where applicable, we highlight the experience of our clients.
